Adjustable hounds.



E S. LEVAUGH.

ADJUSTABLE HOUNDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1912.

Patented July 6, 1915.

N is; WW km QW m w sm \3 nm Wm aw m hm m .sm. 0% m Q 55 5W Q Q W ANQRW @N w Mm Z. S. lemzu aib ELBERT S. LEVAUGH, 0F MILO, MISSOURI.

ADJUSTABLE HOUNDS.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed September 27, 1912. Serial No. 722,899.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, ELBERT S. LEVAUGH, citizen of the United States, residing at Milo, in the county of Vernon and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Hounds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in adjustable hounds for wagons.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a hound construction which may be adjusted to accommodate itself to tongues which vary in size and different sized vehicles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby the longitudinal bars of the hounds are capable of a pivotal movement and are at the same time capable of moving bodily longitudinally of the tongue.

In the drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal section; Fig. 2 a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse section through one of the pairs of adjustable members which connect the longitudinal members of the hounds with the tongue; Fig. 4 is a disassembled perspective view of said members; Fig. 5 a detail view of the supporting bracket which pivotally supports one end of the struts or braces which connect the longitudinal members of the hounds with the tongue' In the drawings 10 designates the vehicle tongue. On each side of said tongue a bracket 11 is secured. Each bracket includes a flat body portion 12 disposed to seat against the adjacent side of the tongue. which at one extremity, is provided with an elongated terminal 15 having a longitudinally extending slot 16 medially formed therein. The body portion 12 is cut away intermediate its ends as best shown'in Fig. 5 of the drawings and the extremity thereof opposite the terminal 15 is medially formed with a longitudinally extending slot 21 which opens through the end edges of the adjacent terminal of the body portion and is arranged in alinement with the slot 16. Projecting laterally from the side edges of the body portion 12 are a pair of longitudinally extending substantially triangular wings 13 which are arranged in parallel spaced relation to each other. The smaller extremities of said wings are connected to the body portion 12 adjacent the point where it is cut away, while the larger extremities thereof terminate with their end edges disposed substantially midway the ends of the adjacent terminal of the body portion 12. Connecting the outer longitudinal edges of the wings 13, is a vertical wall 14- which, at one extremity,terminates short of the adjacent end edges of the wings 13 at the larger extremities thereof and at its opposite extremity, merges with the elongated terminal 15 of the body portion. The wings 13 of the brackets between the larger terminals thereof are disposed to receive the adjacent terminals of the struts 17 and are formed with transversely alined openings 14. Bolts 18 pass through the slotted terminals 15 of the brackets, there being washers 19 disposed between the heads of said bolts and the slotted portion of the bracket, the bracket in this manner being adjustable longitudinally of the tongue. Bolts 20 extend within the slot 21 of the body port-ion of the bracket, washers 22 being interposed between the heads of. said bolts and the bracket, the bracket thus being guided in its longitudinal movement on the tongue and supported at both of its ends. The struts 17 are preferably formed of channel iron, their terminals 23 which are supported by the brackets 11 being rounded, pins 21 passing through said terminals and the openings l-fl formed in the wings of the brackets, the struts thus being pivotally supported by said brackets. The terminals 25 of the struts 17 are received between the side walls of the longitudinal channel bars 26 at the adjacent ends thereof, pivot pins 27 connecting the struts and said bars, the bars being free to move with respect to the struts. The struts and longitudinal bars are connected to the tongue adjacent the forward extremities of said bars by pairs of telescoping members 28 .29. As each pair of these members is identical in construction, only one pair thereof will be described. The member 28 is U-shaped in cross section and provided with an elongated slot 30. This member is formed adjacent one of its terminalswith the apertured ears 31, the adjacent pivot pin 27 passing through the apertures formed in said ears. The member 29 is substantially U-sha-ped in cross section and is provided adjacent one terminal with the apertured extension 32 which is disposed at right angles to the body portion of the member, said extension being secured to the tongue. The member 29 is provided centrally with an aperture 33 through which a bolt 34 passes, saidbolt extending through the elongated slot 30 of the member 28 with the head of said bolt contactmg with the said member.

A nut 35 is disposed on the threaded terminal of said bolt, said nut being brought in binding contact with the member 28 to maintain the members against movement with respect to each other. Sockets 37 are secured in any suitable manner between the side walls of the longitudinally extending channel members 26, preferably substantially midway the ends of said members and are disposed to receive a transversely extending cross bar or rod 38 which extends loosely through a suitable bore formed in the tongue and through the walls of the members 26 connecting the side Walls thereof, the said rod providing a means whereby the hounds and tongue may be operatively secured to a vehicle as will be readily understood. It is to be observed that the apertures formed in the members 26 and the tongue and receiving the rod, are of such character as to permit the pivotal movement of the members 26 relative to the rod. It will be noted by this construction that an adjustable connection is secured between the longitudinal members and the tongue. A similar connection is disposed between the terminals 36 of the longitudinal members and the tongue adjacent its inner end portion, the longitudinal members thus being capable of adjustment toward and away from'the tongue. It will be noted that by adjusting the members 28 and 29 the longitudinal members may be disposed at different angles with respect to the tongue, the brackets 11 sliding on the tongue to compensate for the movement of the longitudinal members.

The many advantages of a construction of this character will be clearly apparent, as it will benoted that the entire construction is such as may be easily and economically manufactured and that the various parts may be readily assembled. It will also be seen that the hounds may be adjusted to accommodate different sized tongues and wagons which vary in size and design.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a device of the character described, a pair of longitudinal members arranged upon opposite sides of a vehicletongue,

transverse members supporting the longitudinal members in spaced relation to the tongue, said transverse members each includ ing telescopic sections having their inner extremities adjustably connected, the outer extremity of one section being provided with laterally directed ears pivotally secured to the adjacent longitudinal member and the outer extremity of the other section being provided'with a laterally disposed terminal extending in a direction opposite to said ears andbearing flatly against the adjacent side of the tongue to be secured thereto, a pair of struts pivotally connected to the forward terminals of the longitudinal members, and brackets adiustable longitudinally upon the tongue and ivotally supporting said struts.

2. In a device of the character described, a bracket inclading a body portion having a flat face disposed to seat upon one side of a vehicle tongue, said body portion being cut away intermediate its ends and at one extremity being formed with an elongated terminal having a longitudinally extending slot formed therein and at its opposite extremity with a longitudinally extending slot arranged in alinement with said first mentioned slot and opening through the end edges ofv the adjacent terminal of the body portion, a pair of laterally projecting wings extending-from the side edges of the body portion, a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally projecting substantially triangular shaped wings formed on the side edges of the body portion, the said. wings being arranged in parallel spaced relation with their smaller ends extending longitudinally of the body portion at the point where it is cut away and with their larger ends terminating medially of said second mentioned slot, there being transversely alined openings formed in the larger ends of said wings, and a longitudinally inclined wall connecting the outer edges of said wings, one extremity of said wall terminating short of the adjacent end edges of the wings at the larger ends thereof and the other extremity of the wall merging into the elongated terminal of the body portion. y

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELBERT s. LEVAUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, 1). G. 

